This invention relates, generally, to board game apparatus whose play simulates the various aspects of actual market operations and, more particularly, to board game apparatus useful for both entertainment and educational purposes for simulating the operations of a market exchange which employs skill, strategy, chance and decision-making factors in its play.
Board game apparatus are well known which attempt to simulate the various aspects of market exchange operations. Thus, board game apparatus wherein a plurality of markets are represented on a playing board are known and wherein the play comprises the movement of player tokens on a continuous track in conjunction with the purchase and sale of such markets.
For example, a board game apparatus is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,691,528, wherein a stock market is simulated and includes a series of value scales, each of which represents a stock, value indicator marker means located on each value scale for indicating the value of the stock and a continuous track defined by a series of areas or spaces at least some of which represent various stocks. As player tokens are moved around the track, the values of the various stocks as indicated by the location of the marker means on the value scales are changed in accordance with indicia provided in the track defining areas.
Although the game apparatus disclosed in the above-identified patent attempts the simulation of the operations of a market exchange wherein the values of shares rise or fall during play of the game, this game does not provide for the actual simulation of a market exchange in that in actual or real life situations, many factors all interrelate to cause the value of market shares to rise or fall. For example, it is a fact that markets are often related to each other in some form or fashion. For example, it is well known that there are several oil companies, each representing a separate market but each being related to the others in that certain factors will influence the value of the shares of all of these markets simultaneously. Thus, political events may affect the price of all of the markets in a particular related market group and, similarly, business transactions between two or more companies may influence the value of the shares of both of these companies. Purchases or sales of large blocks of shares in a particular market will influence the value of those shares as will other so-called "technical" factors. In other words, operations of various recognized market influences will affect the value of shares associated with a single market, while others will affect the value of shares of a group of related markets while still other influences will affect the values of shares of all of the markets on the exchange. Such feature is not provided in any of the conventional board game apparatus presently available.
Further, existing board game apparatus of the above described type do not provide means by which decisions as to market transactions are affected by the "control" by a particular player of a market or group of related markets. Although such "control" features are known as represented by U.S. Pat. No. 2,026,082 ("Monopoly"), such feature is not employed in a manner whereby market exchange transactions will be governed in a realistic manner thereby.
Still further, conventional board game apparatus do not take into account the effect that the passage of time has on the value of markets. Thus, it is well known that in periods of inflation, the variation in value of shares of particular markets with time must be carefully considered in connection with any transaction in such markets. The concept of time also becomes important in connection with the purchase and sale of so-called "options". Thus, in the actual or real-life situation the value of an option will fluctuate according to the passage of time. None of the existing board game apparatus provides for such factors.